Filming in 1066 Country
Night shoot for Foyle's War on Hastings' Beach
The following is an extract from the UK Film Council Report 'Stately Attractions' that explores the cultural and economic impact of films on their locations. It shows how the Hastings and 1066 Country Film Office's efforts in attracting such a high profile production to the area have brought wider, long-term benefits to the economy.
Foyle's War (2002 - Present)
Background
ITV's replacement for Inspector Morse, Foyle's War follows the crusades of enigmatic detective Christopher Foyle, played by Michael Kitchen, on the home front in Hastings during WW2. Now in its fifth series, the drama is hugely popular, attracting up to 9 million viewers per episode. Worldwide, its estimated audience is almost 60 million. The most successful new drama of 2002, Foyle's War won the Lew Grade Audience Award at the 2003 TV BAFTAs.
Locations
Hastings.
Film Tourism Initiatives
Tourist Board Promotion
The old Visit Hastings website prominently features the production on its home page, and offers a location map as well as interviews with the writer, features on WWII and a slide show of stills. Visit South East England also mentions the drama in connection with Hastings.
Tie-in book - Foyle's Hastings
Visit Hastings have put together a tie-in book, Foyle's Hastings, for sale on their website and at the TIC.
Lighting Crane on the Beach
Exhibition
An exhibition at Hastings Museum and Art Gallery was opened to coincide with the transmission of the first programme.
Other tourism initiatives
Websites including www.britishresorts.co.uk, and www.information-britain.co.uk mention Foyle's War in connection with Hastings. There are pages on filming in Midhurst, too.
Foyle's War Website
This independent website features information on the locations, as well as several accounts of fans' pilgrimages to Hastings to watch the filming and visit the locations.
Other Exposure
Wikipedia mentions the drama in its entries on Hastings and St Albans.
Tourism Impact on Locations
Hastings
There has been no specific research done on the tourism effect of Foyle's War, but Kevin Boorman of Hastings Borough Council says there has been 'significant interest' in the locations of the drama, and 'lots of very positive visitor feedback'. He adds that an initial 2,000 print run of the council commissioned book, Foyle's Hastings, sold out in 6 weeks in the middle of winter, and the town's museum typically sells five copies a day.
He adds that he knows the woman who lives at 31 Croft Road, the location of Foyle's house in the drama, and she reports many people coming to look at the house, including visitors from Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The drama also attracts interest from Norway, Belgium and Holland, where it is very popular.
Lower Red Lion St Albans
The owner says that 'quite a lot of people' ask about the pub's use as a location in the drama: "It is commented about on a weekly basis."
Eastbourne
Neil Gallini, Film Liason Officer at Eastbourne Borough Council, says that although none of their tourism questionnaires ask whether specific productions have encouraged visitors to come to the town, "We do get feedback that people come to Eastbourne to look at locations."
He adds that there are plans to develop a Movie Map of Eastbourne, inspired by the success of those produced by Film London.
Knebworth House
Knebworth saw a huge rise in visitor numbers since Foyle's War started to air, from 195,425 in 2003 to 543,822 in 2004. However, this increase is likely to be down to the massive exposure given to the house following the hosting of three Robbie Williams concerts in 2003.
Analysis
Foyle's War has had a positive effect on tourism to its locations, particularly in Hastings, which has made a concerted effort to promote its connection with the drama. Hastings Borough Council has also been pro-active in facilitating the filming, for instance by providing parking attendants, arranging for street furniture to be changed in accordance with the needs of the production company and working with local residents' associations.
Along the coast, another Foyle's War location, Eastbourne, is also notably film-friendly, with a well developed Council Film Liaison Unit that recently distributed a Film Location Guide to over 500 film companies and location managers. In February 2006, it was announced that filming in Eastbourne had increased by 95% in a year.
Keeping the local community 'on-side' is vital in period dramas such as Foyle's War, as these productions require residents to agree to the hiding of modern trappings such as satellite dishes and burglar alarms, the removal of cars and the blocking off of streets.
It is also worth noting that period films and TV programmes often attract other similar productions, because of the difficulties in finding authentic looking locations in the UK. Miss Marple, for instance, was also filmed in Eastbourne, which has architecture befitting stories set in the mid twentieth century. This study raises the question to what extent a popular production can enhance the image of an area. It is well known that Foyle's War's predecessor, Inspector Morse, gave Oxford a lot of positive exposure, but Hastings is somewhat more challenging. One of the most deprived towns in the South East, it has long been associated with shabby, bottom-of-the-rung accommodation, crime and unemployment. However, in recent years, the town has been undergoing notable regeneration, attracting millions of pounds of investment and the reputation as a property 'hotspot.'
Kevin Boorman of Hastings Borough Council says that he doesn't think that Foyle's War has played a substantial part in this 'renaissance' - "People are not so naïve that they think the town is going to be like it is on the screen" - but that it has definitely contributed to the town's economy. "There is no doubt at all that the raised profile of Hastings has something to do with the exposure given to it by Foyle's War."
As well as highlighting the pro-action of two district councils in promoting film-making and film tourism, the study also acts as a reminder that, in other regions, film is not seen as a priority. In Chichester, where Midhurst was used as a Foyle's War location, there is very little film-related activity, and no organisation set up to promote it. "It's not at the top of the list in this part of the country", says Richard Cole, Head of Tourism and Marketing at Chichester District Council.
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